The Mail on Sunday 15th April 2001

Julian Lloyd Webber plays Saint-Saens Cello Concerto

For he’s a jolly good cello…

David Mellor

Julian Lloyd Webber was 50 yesterday, a fitting moment to pay tribute to an outstanding artist and one of music’s nicest and most approachable of men. He recognises no musical barriers and effortlessly straddles the divide between popular and serious that cuts off so many others from their audience.

His next album will be arrangements of his brother’s most memorable melodies. But that same Julian Lloyd Webber is touring north of the border this week, giving the world premiere of a notably uncompromising piece by Scotland’s most promising serious composer, James MacMillan, his Cello Sonata No 2.

Julian has never despised a good tune and throughout his career has either made himself or commis¬sioned from others arrangements of great melodies from opera or the repertoire of other instruments. He reasons: why should the devil have all the good tunes when the cello always sounds the noblest of the lot? And few make it sound more beautiful than Julian on his Stradivarius.

So, on his discs, Gounod’s ‘Ave Maria’ and Bach’s ‘Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring’ rub shoulders with an award-winning Elgar Cello Concerto, while ‘Softly Awake My Heart’ from Samson And Delilah sits comfortably alongside the world premiere recording of the Cello Concerto the great Rodrigo himself wrote for Julian in 1982.

Julian has made more than 50 world premiere recordings, pushing out the boundaries of the cello repertoire in all directions. Michael Nyman wrote a concerto for cello and saxophone for him, while Gavin Bryars achieved considerable kudos from his concerto for Julian, ‘A Farewell To Philosophy’.

Julian’s discography is a long one, so let me pull out two plums. The recordings he made for RCA in the early Eighties have been gathered together in a twofer. Celebration, in honour of his birthday and include, as well as the Rodrigo recording, some outstanding English music: Delius’s Concerto, an unjustly neglected piece, and Hoist’s Invocation, which is heard today solely because of Julian’s efforts.

Philips started recording him in 1984 and some of the finest fruits of his labours for them have been put on to an inexpensive two-CD set entitled Favourite Cello Concertos. Here his outstanding Elgar, with Yehudi Menuhin conducting, is coupled with a particularly fine account of the Dvorak Concerto recorded in Prague with the Czech Philharmonic.

There is the original version of Tchaikovsky’s lovable Rococo Var¬iation and a stunning Saint-Saens First Concerto with the son of another cellist, Jan Pascal Toitelier, on the podium. This recording more than any other shows Julian at his absolute best. Every nuance has been digested and rehearsed, so what you get is a remarkably detailed reading, with all sorts of things you do not hear elsewhere making their impression, without damaging the overall sweep of this commanding work.

Julian has never taken his fame for granted and practises several hours a day. When he started there were some who suggested he was benefiting from the Lloyd Webber name. I am equally certain that the name has often inhibited recognition of just how special he is.

Why not judge for yourselves, not just from the discs, but from a celebratory concert to be given by Julian and his brother at the Royal Albert Hall on June 1, when they will play in public for the first time music from the forthcoming Julian Plays Andrew CD. Tickets are reasonably priced and the cause, the Prince’s Trust, is a worthwhile one. I’m not missing it. Neither should you.

Gramophone April 1999

Favourite Cello Concertos

Julian Lloyd Webber (vc) with various artists.

A first-class package in every way. As we know from his live performances, Julian Lloyd Webber has a firm, richly coloured and full-focused tone; moreover it records well. His lyrical warmth projects tellingly over the entire range and his involvement in the music communicates consistently and tellingly. He has chosen his accompanists well too. His account of the great Dvorak concerto is full of passionate feeling, with a tender Adagio, and Neumann and the Czech Philharmonic give him thoroughly persuasive backing, playing with plenty of bite in tuttis, the Slavonic exuberance always to the fore. His performance of the Elgar concerto has the huge advantage of Lord Menuhin as his partner, a true Elgarian if ever there was one. It is a performance of real understanding and rare intensity, which never oversteps the work’s emotional boundaries and is imbued with innate nostalgia: the Adagio has a haunting Elysian stillness. The Saint-Saens is played for the splendid bravura war-horse that it is, and we are also given a rare chance to hear the original, uncut version of Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations. Lloyd Webber soon proves that it is superior to the truncated version used in most other recordings; moreover his spontaneous warmth in Tchaikovsky’s long-drawn lyrical lines, which he makes sound very Russian in character, makes a perfect foil for the sparkling virtuosity elsewhere.

Among the encores the lovely Traumerei stands out for its freely improvisational feeling and Lloyd Webber’s own catchy, slight but romantic personal tribute to Jacqueline du Pre is played as an ardent, tuneful and timely postscript.

Ivan March

Lidova Demookracie 26th May 1992

Saint-Saens Cello Concerto

“The high point of the evening was, of course, the appearance of the cellist, Julian Lloyd Webber. He played the Saint-Saens Concerto with beautiful tone, here unusually refined, and fautless and precise intonation…this performance may be considered an unequivocal Festival success.”

LE DEVOIR 2Oth May 1992

Saint-Saens Concerto

Joindre l’utile à l’agréable

Concerto pour violoncelle op.66; Chostakovitch, Le ruisseau limpide:

Tchaikovski, Variations sur un thème rococo op.33 (version originale),

Nocturne en ré mineur Philips

English Chamber Orchestra. Dir. Yan-Pascal Tortelier ; Saint-Saens,Concerto pour violoncelle op.33, Allegro appassionato op,43; Fauré,Elégie op.24; D’Indy, Lied op.19;

Honegger, Concerto pour violoncelle. Philips 432 084-2.

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Dir.

Yehudi Menuhin: Elgar, Concerto pour violoncelle op.85. Variations sur un thème original Enigma op.36.

« ÉTUDIANT, je rêvais de pouvoir un jour faire des disques. Mais comment être certain d’y parvenir, les interprètes étant infiniment plus nombreux que, les grands éditeurs discographiques pour les enregistrer. Par ailleurs, à l’âge de 15 ans, vous ne savez pas comment votre jeu va évoluer. Allez-vous résister aux pressions de toutes sortes? II y a tant de facteurs à prévoir. »

À 40 ans, Julian Lloyd Webber s’est à présent taillé une place au..soleil parmi les meilleurs violoncellistes anglais de sa génération et cela, sans lien direct avec la florissante carrière «pop » de son frère aîné Andrew (l’auteur du Fantôme de l’opéra). Il affirme ne lui devoir rien, ni ses disques (il en a signés 10 chez Philips), ni son superbe Stradivarius, acquis en 1983 dans un encan et qu’U a payé difficilement, précise-t-ii, avec un emprunt de la banque.

Est-elle bonne ou mauvaise, cette relation que certains s’empressent d’établir entre lui et son aîné? D’abord indécis, il finit par avouer qu’elle s’avère plutôt négative en ce qu’elle le prive du bénéfice du doute aux yeux de nombreux mélomanes. Différent, il prétend l’être et pouvoir le prouver.

Aujourd’hui, Julian partage ses efforts entre le concert et l’enregistrement en essayant de rendre ,l’un et l’autre complémentaires. Il croit que le second devrait être le reflet fidèle du premier… une photographie, en quelque sorte. Aussi voit-il avec un vif intérêt la possibilité de graver un CD à partir d’un concert en public. Pour diminuer les risques, on pour- i-ait faire un montage en utilisant deux ou trois exécutions de la même pièce.

Pour le moment Cependant, il déplore que l’abus du montage ait eu pour effet de stériliser un trop grand nombre de disques — acquise de cette manière la perfection engendre des lectures qui se ressemblent toutes et qui ont hélas perdu l’originalité et la fraîcheur des 78 tours d’autrefois, ceux de Pablo Casals ou de sa compatriote Beatrice Harrison qu’il semble admirer particulièrement.

Il souhaite laisser un héritage à la postérité. « Nous pouvons donner autant de concerts que possible clans une vie, au bout du compte, il n’eii restera rien. Alors que les enregistrements, comme les œuvres du compositeur, nous survivront. »

A certains égards, cette pensée lui paraît troublante. Regardez le nombre incroyable de versions que l’on continue de publier des mêmes oeuvres. » Devant ce constat, il a tenté une approche, différente dans la conception d’un disque. Prenons le Concerto d’Elgar, par exemple. « Je voulais le faire avec Menuhin qui à déjà enregistré le concerto de violon en 1932 avec le compositeur au pupitre (édité chez EMI, CDII 7 69786- 2) — ce lien m’a semblé dune importance toute particulière. »

Quant au reste du programme, j’avais pensé que la Sérénade pour coi-des op.20 et l’Introduction et allegro pour cordes op.47 auraient fait le complément tout désigné; cependant Menuhin tenait à enregistrer le Variations enigma. Son choix prévalut en dépit même de la réticence de Philips qui venait de l’inscrire à son catalogue avec André Previn à la tête du même Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Philips 416 813-2). Je me rendis à son désir car il me sembla que l’idée était encore mei1leire puisqu’il s’agissait d’une oeuvrè, importante et qu’ayant bien connu Elgar, Yehudi avait là quelque chose nous léguer. Par ailleurs, je ne, liç soucie pas d’être la seule vedette d’un disque quand le but premier est de trouver la meilleure façon de servir la musique d’abord.

Le disque russe Tchaikovski/Miaskovski/Chostakovitch emprunte la même démarche. li fut usé avec Maxime Chostakovitch (‘lé fils de Dimitri), ce qui, selon Llà9d Webber, en garantit l’authenticite. C’est d’ailleurs la partition de Nikolai Miaskovki qui lui révéla les qualités exceptionnelles d’un chef malheureusement sous-estimé.

Rappelons que Miaskovski fut l’auteur de 27 Symphonies; il acheva sort unique Concerto pour violoncelle en 1944 (six ans avant sa mort) à l’intention du violoncelliste Sviatolav Knushevitski, Même si d’aucuns taxeront cette musique d’académique”, il demeure qu’elle ne mérite pas in purgatoire qu’on lui a fait subir, considérant qu’elle nous entraîne fort heureusement hors des lieux communs de la littérature concertante pour violoncelle ordinairement en registrée.

Après Honegger et Miaskovski, Julian Lloyd Webber se propose de. ressortir des oubliettes le Concerto pour violoncelle que Paul Hindemith, écrivit en 1940 — à ne pas confondre, avec l’Opus 36/2, terminé én l9.5 Etant donné qu’on ne les joue pratiquement plus en concert, il espère que sès disques les ramèneront l’attention de chefs-d’orchestre qui les ajouteront à leur répertoire.

Voilà donc une façon intelligente de faire quelque chose d’utile. D’autant qu’ici, l’interprète possède une solide technique instrumentale belle compréhension des texte’ et une admirable sensibilité musicale.

Carol Bergeron

Fanfare November 1991

Saint-Saens Cello Concerto

“Webber plays superbly…this is a rewarding collection which I highly recommend.”

Gramophone November 1991

Saint-Saens Cello Concerto

“In these days of the Three Tenors and Nige, it is a relief to find an artist with a popular following furthering a musical (rather than a commercial) cause.”

Robert Layton

Fono Forum September 1991

Julian Lloyd Webber plays Saint-Saens Cello Concerto

Saint-Saens, Konzert für Violoncello op. 33, Allegro appassionato op. 43,

Faure, Elegie op. 24, d’Indy, Lied, op. 19,

Honegger, Konzert für Violoncello;

Julian Lloyd Webber (Violoncello), English Chamber Orchestra, Yan Pascal Tortelier;

Aufnahmedatum: 1990

Klangbild: Transparent, gut durchhörbar.

Fertigung: Einwandfrei.

Julian Loyd Webber spielt hier ein sinnvoll aufeinander bezogenes Programm ein, das der Art seines Cellospiels charakterlich und ausdrucksmäßig ideal entgegenkommt. Sein Ton besitzt nichts Sonores oder Schweres, noch mimt er den draufgängerischen Virtuosen. Vielmehr prägt sein Cellospiel eine eher weiche, aber dabei gesanglich-flexible Timbrierung ganz eigener Art, die fast körperlos wirkt. Dem entsprechen in diesem Programm Werke, die in ihrer Faktur unverkennbar von Opern- oder doch Vokalmusik geprägt sind: Das Cello dominiert gesanglich, in nicht abbrechender melodischer Kontinuität. Auf diese Weise bezieht ein intensiver Lyrismus alle Stücke aufeinander, so unterschiedlich sie stilistisch auch sein mögen. Demgegenüber bleibt die Orchesterbegieitung gewissermaßen als klanglicher Kontrapunkt stets deutlich, transparent und klar; sie wirkt zu jeder Zeit klanglich-suggestiv, aber nie rauschhaft-impressionistisch.

Solch ein interpretatorischer Ansatz kommt besonders dem wunderbaren Cello-konzert von Honegger zugute, das wie ein Potpourri unterschiedlichster Musiktypen, einschließlich der Unterhaltungsmusik, wirken mag, hier aber in den lyrischen Partien eine innere Mitte erhält. Die Musik verliert auch alles Vulgäre oder Naive, vioimcnr wirkt sie fast schon rührend-kindlich. Es ist als ob ein unermeßliches Harmomebedürinis noch die unterschiedlichsten Musikarten aufeinander bezieht, die alle die gleiche Authentizität beanspruchen können. Das ist ein – wenn dieses Schlagwort gebraucht werden darf fast schon – postmoderner” Interpretationsansatz.

Giselher Schubert

The Washington Post 1st August 1991

Cellist shines even when scores don’t

Julian Lloyd Webber plays Saint-Saens Cello Concerto

Julian Lloyd Webber has two surprising releases this month on the Philips label, one of them very good indeed.

The British cellist is at the peak of his powers in a collection of music by Saint-Saens, Honegger, Faure and d’lndy His playing is also of the highest order in a collection of music by his brother Andrew Lloyd Webber, but here the younger Lloyd Webber falls victim to arrangements unworthy of this family’s considerable talents.

First the good news. Mr. Lloyd Webber’s elegant cello style is ideally suited to the French repertory His way with this music makes for one of the most deeply satisfying cello recordings in years.

Best of all is the 1930 Honegger Cello Concerto, which balances the order of reinvigorated classicism with the new freedom of jazz. Mr. Lloyd Webber’s cello sings. The sound grows In a delicate thread that belies its strength — rhythmically alert and never flagging in energy.

The cellists sparing use of vibrato and his exquisite control reveal unsuspected melancholy in the conversational middle movement. Even more effective is the devastating simplicity he brings to Faure’s well-known Elegie, Op. 24, played here In its orchestral version.

Without resorting to exaggeration or overblown phrasing, Mr. Lloyd Webber brings out Lisztian depths in a rarity: Vincent d’lndy’s Lied, Op. 19.

The gifted Yan Pascal Torrtelier conducts with wit and more than a touch of urbane melancholy. The English Chamber Orchestra, with its flexible strings, is once again a source of immense pleasure.

Octavio Roca

The Los Angeles Times August 1991

Julian Lloyd Webber plays Saint-Saens Cello Concerto

SAINT-SAENS: Cello Concerto; Allegro appassionato. HONEGGER: Cello Concerto. FAURE: Elegy. D’INDY: “Lied.”

Julian Lloyd Webber, cello; English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Yan Pascal Tortelier. Philips 432 084-2.

With his subdued, burnished tone leading the way, Lloyd Webber knocks out a most interesting program of French cello music, balancing moth-eaten standards with out-of- the-way detours. The high point of the disc is the urbane, syncopated, shamefully neglected Honegger concerto; also, Philips claims that the sentimental D’Indy “Lied” is a first recording. The Saint-Saens concerto here benefits from unusually lean accompanying forces.

—RS.G.

The Daily Telegraph 22nd March 1991

Julian Lloyd Webber plays Saint-Saens Cello Concerto

Saint-Saens: Cello Concerto; Allegro appassionato.

Honegger: Cello Concerto.

Faure: Elegie.

D’indy: Lied.

Julian Lloyd Webber/ English Chamber Orchestra. Yan Pascal Tortelier (Philips 432084-2)

Julian Lloyd Webber’s bold start to Saint-Saens’s A minor Cello Concerto similarly finds the essence of urgency in the music right away, going on to develop a mature bloom of sound in passages of quiet, lyrical yearning.

And the “Allegro appassionato” makes a marvellous ending to his all-French disc: as if it were an encore, this is a delightful, rhythmically spicy, gypsy-inflected confection lasting only a few moments, but one in which Lloyd Webber encapsulates all its fire and ardent swooning.

In between, he plays the perennial Faure “Elegie” with an endearing freshness of grief-laden emotion, tastefully judged, unintrusive in its expression, and in the “Lied” by Vincent d’lndy the unadorned melodic beauty (with lovely touches of orchestration) is spun out with affecting simplicity.

Honegger’s Cello Concerto is a welcome and uncommon inclusion here. Its languorous, almost seductive opening is by no means an accurate guide as to what is to follow, for at times Honegger abruptly punctuates the flow with something altogether more angular.

The music’s strange switches of mood from a quasi-nightclubby lilt to aggressive outbursts hint at dark undertones which the buoyant final section does not wholly dispel. Lloyd Webber is a persuasive, probing protagonist.

Geoffrey Norris